Heretofore, it has been well known to provide golf training devices for adjusting the stance of a person in addressing the ball before making contact between the club head and the ball during swinging of the club. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,010 discloses a rather complex training device having several adjustable members to assist a golfer in determining the correct stance to take before swinging at a ball. Additional stance devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,180,170; 2,777,697; 4,384,718; 4,647,048; 5,322,288; 5,362,060; 5,482,284; and 6,752,724.
It is well known that the posture, balance and stance of a golfer have a direct bearing on the ability of the golfer to swing properly and make the best contact with the golf ball. Indeed, it is important that substantially the center of the club face strikes substantially the center of the ball to produce the best possible results for a shot. The alignment of the feet is significant for directional control of the ball flight, and the distance the ball is placed from the feet is significant to provide the proper posture for striking the ball and promote the most efficient swing. Accordingly, a training device for accomplishing these skills so that the proper setup is made will significantly assist the golfer in producing the best possible shot, as well as the best possible swing.
The distance a ball is placed from the feet of a golfer that takes the proper posture depends upon and is directly related to the height of the golfer and the club chosen for striking the ball. For example, a golfer 5 feet 7 inches in height when using a 6 iron would position the ball 22 inches from the feet, while a taller golfer would position the ball closer to the feet, and a shorter golfer would position the ball farther from the feet. Also, the feet-to-ball distance would be related to the particular club chosen. The lower numbered club would require placement of the ball farthest from the feet, while the higher numbered club would require placement of the ball much closer to the feet. The present invention includes the feature of setting the placement of the ball from the feet of the user, along with the alignment of the body for ball flight direction.